Strategies, technological development and innovation in the brazilian capital goods sector

Abstract

The capital goods sector is directly related to the production of other sectors, playing a decisive role in the diffusion of new technologies. This sector can be characterized by its heterogeneity, given the diversity of types, uses and purposes of its products, and it’s also present in the competitive conditions related with the technological dynamism. The main objective of this paper is to study the pattern of technological development in the Brazilian capital goods sector, taking into consideration the strategic behaviour of its national and international leaders, in the segments of mechanical and electric equipment and electric motors. The analysis of interviews made in some of the most important firms of the sector reveals the presence of many common elements, e. g., in technology, even among manufacturers which are from different segments. The proposal of this paper is to systematize the sector, taking account of the similiraties of the firms conducts in Brazil.